The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-26
Incident of the War.

As we returned down the Yazoo at
every possible point where the river
could be reached there were throngs
of negro families waiting to be taken
away. Many of them had fiat boats
in which they were already embark
ed ready to fasten line to the re-
turning Federal boats and be towed
down the river and to freedom.
1 remember one instance connected
with this hegira that was somewhat
out of the usual course of events. At
one point where the Silver Wave
halted there was an immense en-
campment of negroes with their
scanty furniture waiting for removal.
Attached to the shore was large fiat
boat, which lay just at the stern of
the steamer. 1 happened to be loung-
ing in that portion OF the boat, and
was attracted by the character of the
contents of the fiatboat. There were
at least twenty colored people in it,
of all ages and both sexes. In the
stern sat a venerable African. who
at once attracted my attention. He
had a heavy beard and very thick
hair, which, with his dense eye
brows, were as white as wool. There
was something noble and impressive
in his face and position, and interest
in him was increased as l saw that
he was sightless. He was grand as
he sat there; grand in his years.
which must have been close to a
century grand in the immobility of
his countenance, the repose of his
position, in his helpless blindness,
and in a perceptible expression of
patience and hope that characterized
his features.
The other people in the boat were
probably his descendants. There was
a white headed woman who was his
daughter, then a stalwart man and
woman who must have been his
grandchildren, and then boat of
children of all ages from 20 down to
a little pickaninny lying on its back
that sucked its thumb, kicked up its
heels and gazed with its black. bead
like eyes into vacancy. They were
all chattering, laughing, screaming
in the exuberance of their delight.
Freedom was before them and the
world was ablaze with the glory of
anticipation. Only the patriarch was
silent to him there perhaps mingled
with the hope of the future recol-
lection Of the old home and the old
fife. The deep grown roots of his
existence could not be easily extrac-
ted from the soil of the South, and
vet there was glow on his face such
as must have come over the faces of
the wandering tribes as they stood
on Nebo and their weary eyes took
in the spreading fields and the fertile
plains of the promised land.
A line was dropped from the deck
btto StCdLhCL W VIC hobOOnt oho
made fast. The next moment the
wheel began to reYolye. 1t threw
back waves which enveloped the
flatboat, and then, as the speed in
creased, the fat bow of the latter
was drawn under, and the entire
boat with all its human freight. its
infancy, its years, its hopes, disap-
peared under the greenish waters of
the Yazoo. AS far as could see the
locality I watched for some sign of
the engulfed unfortunates. but not
even a rag. fragment of any kind,
came to the surface. The cruel waters
held them fast, and not even ripple
disturbed the placid surface above
their place of disappearance.
Nothing that saw during the war
shocked me as did this occurrence.
Rescue was impossible the boat did
not even stop. 1t steamed swiftly
away, and I felt in my heart that
another and humber Moses had
died at the moment of anticipated
deliverance. -"Polinto" in Chicago
1Snaes.i